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Innovations at North Star

Over at North Star, colleagues been leaning into the SHINE spirit this year: experiment, collaborate, share… and occasionally wave a tiny camera on a stick in the air!

One idea they have been exploring is something they’re calling Binnovations (yes, it’s about bins, but stay with us).

In areas like central Middlesbrough, overflowing bins were leading to complaints, fly-tipping, pests and the need for big alley clean-ups. So, what if sensors were fitted inside those bins? As soon as the rubbish hits a certain level, the sensor notifies the council directly. They empty it before it becomes a problem.

A simple idea with the potential to make a real difference and something North Star is trialling with partners, through the National Innovation Centre for Data Bootcamp, having had brilliant results from working with students studying data analysis in the past.

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